The seventh heaven of Schlager music – Cameo at Schlager Café Düsseldorf

The Schlager Café is every Schlager music fan’s dream and a premier culinary experience. Since April 2025, the café in Düsseldorf’s Old Town has united the special joie-de-vivre of Schlager music with first-class cuisine, and also has an integrated event area right next door. Aside from putting on acclaimed live concerts by Schlager stars of the past and present, the Henkel Hall also plays host to talks, corporate events, and much more. The lighting technology set-up, for which Philipp Kleidt from PHK Eventtechnik used plenty of Cameo fixtures on behalf of ProdLive GmbH, was just as versatile as the event programme. We spoke to Maurin Cronenberg (Managing Partner, ProdLive) and Philipp Kleidt (Managing Director, PHK Eventtechnik) about the Schlager Café project.

Hello Philipp, hello Maurin, how did you come up with this project? Is there some kind of history behind it?

Philipp Kleidt: It happened quite easily in our case: Maurin approached me and asked me if I would like to join the crew and oversee the lighting part at the Schlager Café. Since time was short, we worked directly with Kristof Schlösser to develop the necessary concepts. Despite the tight schedule, we were able to realise everything on time, thanks in part to the great support from Thomas Jung and the Adam Hall Group.

Maurin Cronenberg: We were approached by CONCEPT FAMILY Franchise AG about whether we would be interested in participating in the call for tenders. After a detailed on-site visit and many discussions, we finally developed a concept to make the requirements a reality. This project’s key feature is its mixed use as a catering and event location.

©Jan Phillip Behr

What lighting requests and specifications did the operators have for you? What was particularly important to them?

Maurin Cronenberg: We needed a system that could generate various scenarios at the touch of a button without having to spend five-figure sums on large automated solutions. In addition to flexibility and speed, a top priority for the customer was the rider suitability of the lighting and audio technology. And, of course, the price also played a role. With these considerations in mind, Cameo was the ideal partner for us.

Philipp Kleidt: The lighting set-up had to be flexible to make it possible to put on both concerts and parties. For example, as a floor set, we built six Cameo OPUS H5s in two clusters of three and mounted them on mobile dollies so that they can be flexibly positioned on the stage and also stored under the stage if required. So when it’s time to use the system, the dollies can be rolled onto the stage and plugged into the connecting cable, with the system ready to play. Alternatively, the OPUS H5 can be hung in the additional hall trusses, which are all equipped with plenty of connection cables (Schuko, DMX, Art-Net). This means that the set-up can be flexibly adjusted to the event requirements with relatively little effort.

©Jan Phillip Behr

Maurin Cronenberg: We also always had to keep an eye on scalability and connection options for external productions. The overall system thus has many reserves so that we can retrofit a high double-digit number of fixtures at short notice without additional cable control. There are also guest ports for Art-Net and MA-Net at the front of house and on stage so that guest consoles can be added at short notice.

“Cameo has built up a very good reputation over the years.”
Maurin Cronenberg, ProdLive GmbH

Were there any special technical challenges with the lighting?

Maurin Cronenberg: The hanging points in the hall were predetermined. Due to the short installation time of around six weeks until interim operation, we were unable to make any adjustments here. As such, we had to make a few compromises with the trussing. In the meantime, however, we are actively communicating with the structural engineer to enable an extension of the suspension points and thus more flexibility in the lighting concept. A 3D model of the event hall also exists to enable pre-visualisations.

©Jan Phillip Behr

Why did you opt for Cameo? What do you think makes the brand special?

Philipp Kleidt: I have been working with Cameo for many years and am absolutely satisfied. Thanks to NicLen’s major investment in Cameo products, the fixtures have become an integral part of our productions. The value for money speaks for itself, and the location in Germany means that distances are always very short, both in terms of logistics and communication. All these advantages were once again apparent at the Schlager Café: Thomas Jung provided us with excellent support and also made short-term solutions possible. This allowed us to keep to tight schedules and offer the customer an optimum result.

Maurin Cronenberg: Cameo has built up a very good reputation over the years. For our customer, it was important to work with “local” manufacturers and to achieve the optimum balance between price and good light output to make it suitable for both riders and TV. We didn’t have to think about it for long. The decision was immediately made in favour of Cameo.

©Jan Phillip Behr

What are the tasks of the individual Cameo models in the lighting set-up?

Philipp Kleidt: The F4 FC Fresnel Spots are our classic front light. The wide range available means we can offer both warm white light for in-person events and cold light for camera-friendly illumination. The mobile F2 FC can be used as a highlight if necessary. The EVOS W7 Wash Moving Heads are used in the back truss as classic pixel washers and create beautiful images next to the LED wall with their large lenses. The OPUS H5s act as classic beam/spot hybrid moving heads in the back truss and as a floor set or as mobile lights in the hall truss, generating stunning fan effects, gobos, and fast movements. The compact AZOR W2 Wash Moving Heads support the large EVOS W7 and can be used either as aisle lighting on the stage or as washlights in the truss. The AZOR SP2 Spot Profiles also hang in the front truss and, depending on the event, support the OPUS H5 as effect lights or, thanks to the shutter blades, are also used as front lights and for banner/object illumination.

©Jan Phillip Behr

“Thanks to NicLen’s major investment in Cameo products, the fixtures have become an integral part of our productions.”
Philipp Kleidt, PHK Eventtechnik

Is there a cameo model that you are particularly impressed by?

Philipp Kleidt: I am always impressed by the OPUS H5’s output. Not least thanks to the narrow beam angle, I can switch from a large gobo image to narrow beams in no time at all and transmit them across the room – exactly what we want from a multifaceted set-up. At the moment, my highlight though is the AZOR SP2 because it combines so many functions in one light: it acts as an effect light for parties and concerts as well as a replacement for front lights, and it is suitable for precise illumination of individual objects and banners.

In three words, how would you describe the lighting design in the Schlager Café?

Philipp Kleidt: Flexible, customised, modular.

Maurin Cronenberg: Modern, well-thought-out, flexible.

What projects are up next for you?

Maurin Cronenberg: At present, we are preparing two arena projects for the European Handball Federation (EHF), for which we are realising the stage and lighting design for the handball tournament’s show segments. There is also an anniversary and a trade fair project on the table, which will take place in May.

Philipp Kleidt: The AGM season is in full swing for us right now. For example, we currently have a hybrid event where the Cameo F4 FC Fresnel Spotlights and the ZENIT W600 are being used.